It's good to be bad
And we're proof of that
Used to be lost, now we're on the map
Used to steal stacks, now we're giving back
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MAL CASUALLY took a seat on one of the tables. "Just wondering if you've seen a pretty pink princess around here somewhere?"

Uma crossed her arms and took one long look at Mal before huffing and turning to one of the guys who was wiping off the counter. "Hey Gil!"

The boy looked in our direction. He was dressed in a brunt red and brown vest with spikes at the edges, a sheath hanging at his side. Two streaks of black and orange were painted on his face.

"Take care of things for now, would ya?" Uma said, "Our visitors want a tour of our ship."

Gil didn't sound as tough as he looked. "Sure thing, Uma."

Uma clapped happily, before waving for us to follow her out of the restaurant.

"How long have you guys known each other?" Ben asked, trying to be friendly.

Uma shrugged. "Since school."

"That was until you dropped out." Mal reminded her.

"I dropped out cause Ursula needed someone to run the place. She doesn't trust any other folks to care take of her business."

"Is..." Ben swallowed, before continuing, "Is your mom hard on you too?"

I understood: he knew parents here aren't exactly the best.

Uma raised an eyebrow at him. "No, considering the fact that I barely ever see her... I don't even address her as my mom." She replied, "I'm surprised you care, Benny boy."

Mal poked the handle of her sword at Uma. "He's different."

"Oh really?" Uma sneered a little, making Ben more nervous, "Then may I ask why we're on our fourth year of landfill strikes? And why all our kids are starving?"

Ben gulped and I felt the need to save him.

"He's giving the second generation a chance at Auradon Prep." I told her, "That's already a huge step."

Uma shrugged and continued down the road towards a dock located nearby. A large ship was parked against it, octopuses painted on the sails.

"I hate to ask." Jay said, "But why do you have a pirate ship when you can't sail past the barrier?"

"That's a good question." Uma replied casually. And she left it like that.

Carlos leaned in to whisper to me. "I don't like her."

I bit back a laugh. "I can tell."

He moved away. I noticed he didn't touch me at all since we had arrived. I guess it was a logical move: affection isn't a thing on the Isle.

Uma led us on deck. It was a finely crafted ship, I'd say, but you could tell it was missing out in action. We followed the captain below deck. There were at least half a dozen rooms lined up. I peeked into one of them and saw a stack of unused paint.

That explains a lot.

Uma stopped suddenly, causing the other six people and one dog behind her to crash into each other in the tight space.

"Your girl is in the room at the end. Pink dress, bratty attitude. We picked her up a little over an hour ago." Uma said, leaning against the wall and detaching one of the keys from the belt that hung loosely around her waist. "I was gonna release her in a bit, but I didn't know where she was from. Didn't want to talk to me. I'm guessing by the fact that you're here that she's an Auradon brat."

She gave Evie the key, who handed it to Ben. "I think Audrey would rather see you first than the rest of us." She noted.

We watched Ben head over to the room at the back and unlocked it. In two seconds flat he was attacked by a screeching Audrey. There was indeed a tear at the bottom of her dress.

"Ben!" She threw herself at him, "You won't believe what happened to me-"

She stopped when she saw the rest of us standing in the corridor. Mal waved at her.

Audrey didn't hesitate to start her finger pointing. "They kidnapped me!" She exclaimed.

Uma rolled her eyes. "I did. They came to save you." Audrey glared at her. "What? Kidnapping is a hobby of mine."

"Audrey." If Ben wasn't pissed off, at least he sounded stern. "What have you done?"

The brown haired girl staggered away from him. "I was... I was just tryna... I didn't cause any harm!"

"But you were going to." I interjected.

"Gimme the remote, Audrey." Ben demanded.

Audrey sulked, then handled it over. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're in so much trouble." Jay tutted.

"Guys let's talk about this another time." Carlos said, running a hand through his hair, "We gotta get back."

Ben reached into his pocket for his device. "Hello?" He said, raising it to his lips, "We got Audrey."

There was a buzz of a response, but I was too far away for me to register. Audrey looked like she was close to throwing a fit, but she knew how much trouble she was in.

"Thanks shrimpy." Mal said to Uma, giving her a nod, "For once I'm actually glad you take people hostage. Or else we'd be all over the place looking for her."

"Sure thing, Mal." Uma shrugged, "I still don't get how all this happened."

Ben frowned at her. It seemed that her words from earlier had gotten to him. "Do you want a spot in Auradon Prep?" He asked, "I could try arranging something."

Audrey opened her mouth to protest, but the hard glare Mal sent her way silenced her.

Uma stared at Ben for a while, like she couldn't believe he was offering her the opportunity. Then she reached up and adjusted her pirate hat. "I'm a captain of a crew." She started, "I may not live under the best conditions, washing dishes and scrubbing floors all day long, but I'm never gonna leave my crew like that. They're my family. The Isle is my home, and I like it that way."

I smiled.

I could see how the new perspective changed the expression on Ben's face. Uma was sly and manipulative, but she's loyal, like Harry and the rest of her crew. Pirates can be very admirable sometimes.

"I respect that." The Prince said.

Jay nudged his head towards a sulking Audrey. "Time to take her back."

"Not even gonna stay for a snack?" Uma laughed, "I'm kidding- get your asses off my ship before I boot them off."

We headed back on the dock, where Harry was waiting on us.

"Shouldn't you be washing something?" Uma asked him.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe, but I was too busy staring at this ravishing lass over here."

It took me a few seconds to realize he was staring at me, but it took Carlos zero.

"Ravishing and taken." Carlos intercepted, putting a protective arm around me, "This one's mine."

It took all my might to not break into a lovesick grin.

"Everyone here is taken, Harry." Mal teased, saving me from further embarrassment.

"Except Jay." Evie let slip, covering her mouth right after and laughing.

To all of our surprise, Harry turned to the dark haired boy, who looked mortified at the idea, and said in his most seductive voice "Lookin' fine as a hook, Jay."

Everyone burst into laughter.

"See you another time, Harry." Mal said, giving him a side hug.

"Leaving already?"

"Turns out they were here to pick this chick up." Uma said, punching him in the shoulder, "Just leave the swords that you borrowed on the ground. We'll take care of it later."

"Thank you." Ben told her, meaning every word.

Uma looked amused. I guess the boy in front of her was different from the prince on TV. "Sure thing, boy."

Evie stepped up. "I know you don't know me well." She started, "But I want you to have this... as a token of appreciation." I watched the blue haired girl slip off the ring on her finger. It was a simple ring, but it could be fortune on the Isle.

"Woah, girl." Uma was taken back. "That's not-"

"Just take it."

The turquoise haired girl was hesitant, but she took it anyway, a look of gratitude on her face. She slipped the ring on, adding to her various accessories like her scallywag swag earrings, turquoise and white bead bracelets, and her pirate crew's symbolic pin.

"Y'all are weird people." She noted, before shooing us away, "Guess I'll catch y'all next time one of your princesses decide to take a trip to the Isle."

"Bye shrimpy." Mal called as we started walking.

"I hate you." Uma replied, but her smile said otherwise, "Whatever you need, you know where to find me. I'm always home."